Octoberfests - the seasonal appendix

Clearly, I am a beer geek, but the brewers of tonight's tasting selection are in a different league altogether. First off, the guys at St. George Brewing Company don't sell their Fall Bock ("a seasonal brew") by the six-pack or in big bottles. Instead, this beer is in standard 12-ounce single bottles. Second, their description reads as follows:

heavy body, light amber color, low perceived bitterness, high malt flavor, medium/balanced hoppiness, no diacetyl, medium carbonation

They used the "diacetyl." I have to consult my beer-brewing books to even remember what that means.

But this is about how the beer tastes, right? That said, I'll counter their beer-geek description by saying that this beer tastes like delicious blend of crisp air, cider donuts, macaroni and cheese, and the ALCS.

Octoberfests, pt. 5 – a teutonic head-to-head

I've been keeping these bottles in my fridge for more than a week now as I've tried to lighten up on the drinking. Anyway, it was finally time for the head-to-head—call it mourning for the baseball season.

1. Spaten Oktoberfest Märzen lager
With apologies to all the great American Octoberfests, none of them quite hold a candle to the real thing. The body of the Spaten is near-perfect—light, but with just enough heft to make you long for crisp days and almost-frosty nights. Then comes the taste, with complex layers upon layers. There is none of the overwhelming maltiness of some of the American brews. Instead, the malts bring out a certain caramel flavor that begins to hint of nutmeg and cinnamon on later sips. The hops don't jump out, but there are just enough floral notes on the nose to remind you that the hops are an essential building block of this beer.

2. Aktien Oktoberfest
This one comes in a bigger bottle--happy, happy! Overall, the beer's character is very similar to the Spaten--its body and malt. The nose is more balanced, however, and the flavor is more even. It's up to you whether this is a positive. Damn fine beer, I say.